Window latch



Jan. 22, 1929.

' 1,500,093 W. S. HAMM WINDOW LATCH FilBd March 19, '1926 Patented Jan.22, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM S. HAMM, OF HUBBARD WOODS, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE ADLAKE COM-PANY, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

WINDOW LATCH.

'Application filed March 19, 1926.

The invention relates to latches designed especially for use inconnection with window sash having comparatively narrow stiles andrails, such as those which are made of metal and are in common use inrailway cars.

Sashes having the characteristic named do not provide ample framesurface for carrying the casings of latches, as heretofore made, Withouthaving the casing project over the glazing.

The objects of the present invention are to provide a latch housed in acasing capable of being applied to a narrow sash frame sun face withoutoverhanging the same; and to I simplify and generally improve the latchmechanism.

- These objects are attained in the construction hereinafter describedand illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which i Fig. 1 is adetail elevation of a sash and window casing (the latter. being shownpartly in section) with the improved latch applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a plan section on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the inner face of the latch in assembled form;I

Fig. 4 is a view in perspective of the latch casing;

Fig. 5 is a detail of the latching dog;

Fig. 6 is a detail of the dog-controlling lever; and

Fig. 7 is a detail section on the line 77 of Fig. 4.

There is represented at 10 one of the stiles of a window sash, and at 11the bottom rail thereof. At 12 there is shown one of the stiles of thewindow casing, which is equipped with the usual stop bar 13, havingpockets or recesses 14L for engagement by the latching dog in order tosupport the sash at the desired elevation.

The latch casing is generally represented by the numeral 15, and isL-shaped to be fitted to the corner of the sash, one of its sectionsbeing fitted to the stile 10, and the other sec tion being fitted to thebottom rail 11, the casing being secured to the sash as by the screws16, 17. The chamber of the casing extends into both of its sections.

The latching-dog 18 is housed within the upright-or stile-engagingsection 19, and is in the form of an oscillating arm having a lateralprojection or nose adapted to project through an aperture 20 in thecasing, and to Serial No. 95,892.

cooperate with the several stops 14. The dog is pivoted within thecasing in any suitable manner, but one of the features of the inven tionconsists in the improved means for securing the pivotal action. The heel21 of the dog is rounded, having the form of an arc of a circle, andfits within and against a complementary surface 22 formed in theupper-end of the casing, which'is recessed, as shown in Fig. 7, tobetter retain the dog in place.

The operating lever 23 is in the form of a bell-crank, one arm of whichis housed within the horizontal member 24 of the casing 15 and carries athumb-piece 25, which projects through a suitable aperture 26 in thecasing wall and is preferably upwardly directed. The other arm 27 of thebell-crank projects upwardly into the upright casing section 19. At theangle of the bell-crank its outer margin is rounded, as shown at 28, tothe arc of a circle and fits within a complementary-recess 29 formed inthe outer wall of the casing at its angle. The bell-crank will,therefore, oscillate upon this curved bearing with a pivotal movementwithout requiring the use of a pivot pin.

At the inner end of the bell-crank there is a laterally projecting lug30, which projects through an aperture 31 in the dog 18, whereby theoscillation of the dog is efiected by the oscillation of the bell-crank.

Spring means is provided for advancing the dog and elevating thethumb-piece. Such means may be applied either to the dog or thebell-crank, or to' both. The last-named arrangement is preferred, forwhile either spring will hold both parts in the desired normal positionthey together serve the purpose of holding the elements in assembledrelation before the application of the casing to the sash.

The spring associated with the dog is in the form of a bent wire 32, oneof its ends, 33, being bent to engage in an aperture 34 in the lug 30,its opposite end bearing against the side wall of the casing andpreferably being provided with a slight offset, as shown at 35, forengaging a recess or aperture 36 therein, the spring being continuedandbent to project over the free end of the dog, as shown at 37. The spring38 associated with the bell-crank is also in the form ofa bent Wire, oneof its ends, 39, being positively engaged with the free end of thebell-crank by passing through an aperture 40 therein, and the otherbearing against a side wall of the casing and preferably being providedwith an offset, as 41, for engaging an aperture or,

recess 42 therein. The spring 38 is better retained in operativeposition by providing a stud or hook 43 at the angle of the bellcrank,and which projects through the loop recess A2. The dog is now insertedin proper position, the end 33 of the spring 32 is hooked. into theaperture in the lug 30, and the offset 35 is brought into engagementWith the recess 36, thereby forcing the free end 3'7 of the springagainst the face of the dog.

Thus assembled the latch may be packed for shipment and the parts aresecurely held in assembled relation pending the application to the sash.In operation the dog is nornotches.

mally advanced and the thumb-piece raised by the spring action, and thedog is withdrawn by the depression of the thumb-piece. Should either ofthe springs be broken or weakened, the other will continue to functionand hold both of the movable latch elements in normal position.

While a preferred form of construction is disclosed, the invention is ofwider scope than the details shown.

While in its broader aspects the invention may be embodied in astructure in which the pivotal mounting of the dog and controlling leveris of different form from that shown, the form illustrated has decidedadvantages in that by dispensing with pivot pins the cost ofmanufacture, simplicty of assembling and great strength and durabilityare secured.

The extended pivotal bearing of the dog against the upper end of thecasing is of decided advantage. A window sash is not in,-

frequently allowed to drop, unretarded, and in that event the dogusually arrests the descent by catching in one of the lower casing This,puts the latch under great strain, and a mere pivot pin is likely to bebent or displaced. In the construction shown such shocks are sustainedby the entire end of the casing which, being of small size, pos sessesample strength, even though. the casing be formed of sheet metal.

I claim as my invention- 1. A sash latch having an L-shaped casingadapted for attachment to a sash at an angle thereof and to conform tosuch angle, and latch mechanism housed within both arms of said casing.

2. A sash latch having an Lshaped casing, an oscillating latching doghoused in one leg of the casing and having a rocking hearing on arounded surface of the casing, and a dog-controlling element projectingfrom the other leg of the casing.

3. A sash latch having an L-shaped casing,

a latching dog housed in one leg of the casing, a bell-crank forcontrolling the dog and projecting from the other leg of the casing, thebell-crank being fulcrumed at its angle on a rounded face of the casing.

- 4-. A sash latch having an L-shaped casing adapted for attachment tothe corner of a sash and conforming thereto, a latching dog projectingfrom one leg of the casing, a dogcontrolling element projecting from theother leg thereof, and spring means for advancing the dog and forholding the dog and con trolling element in assembled relation withinthe casing.

5. A sash latch comprising an L-shaped casing adapted for attachment tothe corner of a sash and conforming thereto, a latching dog housed inand projecting laterally from one leg of the casing, and adog-controlling lever housed inthe other leg and projecting into the leghousing the dog.

6. A sash latch comprising a casing having a portion of its wall formedinto a rounded bearing surface, and a latching dog carried by the casingand having a rounded surface pivotally engaging the named bearingsurface.

7. A sash lock comprising a casing having a portion of its wall formedinto a rounded bearing surface, a latching dog, and adog-controlling'lever, such lever having a rounded surface pivotallyengaging the named bearing surface.

8. A sash latch comprising a casing having a recess the bottom of whichis rounded, and a latching dog fitting within the recess and havingpivotal engagement with its rounded bottom.

9. A sash latch comprising a casing having a downwardly facing roundedbearing surface, and a latching dog having its upper end rounded andseated against and turning upon the rounded bearing surface.

10. A sash latch having an L-shaped casing adapted for attachment to asash. at a corner thereof, and conforming thereto, a latching dog housedwithin the casing and projecting from the outer face of the stileattached leg thereof, and a dog controlling element projecting from theinner face of the rail attached leg of the casing.

11. A sash latch comprising an L-shapcd casing having rounded bearingsurfaces at the end of one leg and at the juncture of the two legs, alatching dog having a rounded end piv-otally seated on the first namedbearing surface, and a bell crank shaped latching dog controllingelement having a rounded face at its angle and pivotally engaging thesecond named bearing surface.

12. A sash latch comprising, in combination, an L-shaped casing havingrounded bearing surfaces at the end of one leg and at the juncture ofthe two legs, and a cooperating latching dog and controlling lever eachhaving a rounded bearing face engaging one of the named bearing surfacesof the casing.

13. A sash latch. comprising an L-shaped casing having rounded bearingsurfaces at the end of one leg and at the juncture of the two legs, alatching dog having a rounded end pivotally seated on the first-namedbearing surface, and a bell-crank shaped element for supporting andcontrolling the dog and having a rounded face at its angle and pivotallyengaging the second-named bearing surface.

14. A sash latch comprising, in combination, an L-shaped casing havingrounded bearing surfaces at the end of one leg and at the juncture ofthe two legs, a latching dog having a rounded bearing face engaging thefirst-named bearing surface, a controlling lever having a roundedbearing face engaging the second-named bearing surface and beinginterlocked With the dog to hold it in engagement with the bearingsurface of the casing and rocking it thereon.

15. An L-shaped sash latch casing, a latching dog and an actuating leverinterlocking therewith, an advancing spring bearing on the dog, and aretracting spring bearing on the lever.

16. In a sash latch,in combination, an L shaped casing adapted Whenattached to have one arm applied to a sash stile and the other armapplied to a cross-bar of the sash, a spring-advanced latching dogpivoted within the stile-engaging arm of the casing, a spring retractedbell-crank shaped controlling lever pivoted in the stile-engaging armand projecting into the cross-bar engaging arm of the casing, the dogand lever being positively and directly interlocked.

17. An L-shaped latch casing both arms of Which are chambered, alatching dog and a controlling lever therefor, both of such elementsbeing housed Within the casing, the dog projecting through an opening inone arm thereof, and the lever projecting through an opening in theother arm thereof.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

WILLIAM S. HAMM.

